During the COVID-19 pandemic, designers applied problem-solving and resourcefulness in response to the public health crisis. After talking to medical professionals in Lagos, Nigeria, Marcus-Bello learned that high patient volume was making it difficult for them to wash their hands. Doctors and nurses had to move quickly between patients, and sinks were in fixed locations. He developed this portable, contactless, and modular handwashing station in collaboration with local artisans. It features a tubular steel frame; ceramic components; water kegs inspired by meruwa, water sellers in rural Nigeria; and a battery-operated micro submersible pump with a forty-eight-hour runtime. The station is easily replicable using locally accessible components.

Gallery label from

Pirouette: Turning Points in Design, January 26, 2025–November 15, 2025

Medium Steel, polyurethane containers, ceramic
Dimensions 48 × 30 × 20 3/4" (121.9 × 76.2 × 52.7 cm)
Credit Committee on Architecture and Design Funds
Object number 170.2024
Department Architecture & Design

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